


Let's Be Friends

by Raicho



Series: The Little Things [2]
Category: The Walking Dead (TV)
Genre: Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alternate Universe - High School, Brief Mention of Implied Child Abuse, F/M, Fluff, Football, M/M, Mild Hurt/Comfort, alpha!Rick, high school sweethearts, omega!Daryl
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-27
Updated: 2016-10-27
Packaged: 2018-08-27 10:16:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,165
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8397709
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Raicho/pseuds/Raicho
Summary: He’d never been to a football game before—always too shy and socially inept to handle big events—but he’d promised Rick that he’d be there.





	

**Author's Note:**

> *･゜ﾟ･*☆ (◕‿◕✿) ☆*･゜ﾟ･* Because I am still trash and need something kind and sweet and soft after that fucking brutal premiere episode.
> 
> Takes place in my A/B/O 'verse during Rick and Daryl's sophomore year in high school. I always like to imagine that Lori and Daryl could be good friends if given the time to interact with each other.
> 
> Unbeta'd

            The weather was shit and the noise was a bit much for Daryl, but the omega sat faithfully on the sidelines as he watched Rick stand tall and determined on the large field. He’d never been to a football game before—always too shy and socially inept to handle big events—but he’d promised Rick that he’d be there. The alpha had grinned from ear to ear when Daryl agreed; it’d been like telling a five-year-old kid that their parents were taking them to Disney for the first time.

            A raindrop landed on the tip of his nose, causing Daryl to shiver and wrap Rick’s varsity jacket around his shoulders more closely.

            “Eleven, huh?” A voice spoke from behind Daryl, “You with Rick?”

            Daryl turned to find a petite, beta girl with long, chocolate-brown hair standing on the bleachers behind him, giving him one of the softest smiles he’d ever seen. Standing in the rain and looking down at him, he could see that she had two hot dogs held in the palms of her small hands and an oversized varsity jacket—nearly identical to the one Rick gave Daryl—slung over her shoulders.

            “Uh…” Daryl didn’t know what to say. _How did she know he was with Rick?_

            Like a mind-reader, the girl gave a dainty laugh before explaining, “Figured he wouldn’t give his jacket to just anybody.”

            _Duh._

            “Mind if I sit?” The girl asked, motioning with her eyes to the empty seat beside him.

            Daryl nodded.

            The girl hopped over the bench and passed one of the hot dogs to Daryl to hold while she swept away a few of the puddles of water that gathered from the evening’s rain showers before she took her seat.

            “I’m Lori, by the way,” the girl smiled as her warm brown eyes sparkled under the lights of the stadium, “Are you new here?”

            Daryl didn’t know who this girl was or why she was talking to him, but he figured he’d go along with it and try to make some type of friend during his time sitting in the unpleasant rain.

            “Yea, came from a small town outside of Macon. Only been a few months.”

            “That must be nice to move. I’ve been here all my life.” She sighed.

            Daryl nodded. A lie. It wasn’t nice to move—especially when the reason for moving was because CPS got a whiff of his home life and sent him packing to live with his aunt here in King County. But he’d found Rick here, and that’d been fine enough for him. So Daryl supposes he might not be lying that much after all.

            “So what’s your name?” Lori asked before taking a bite of her hot dog.

            “Uh, Daryl. M’ name’s Daryl Dixon.” He felt as though he practically oozed awkwardness from his pores.

            “Well, Daryl, you’re welcome to that hot dog if you’d like. Don’t think I could stomach a second one.” Lori laughed as she wiped at the corners of her mouth with a paper napkin.

            “Thanks,” Daryl gave a faint smile before cautiously taking a bite.

            A moment or two passed as they watched the game in silence while Daryl ate his hot dog. The rain was beginning to let up a bit, and the temperature wasn’t so chilling anymore, allowing Daryl to relax his grip on the jacket around his shoulders.

            “So you’re dating Rick?” Lori asked, making Daryl nearly choke on the last bite of his hot dog.

            “How d’you know that?” Daryl wheezed as he brought a closed hand to his chest to help  beat away the coughing sensation.

            “Well he’s Shane’s best friend, and they sortta share everything with each other…”

            “Y’ know Shane?” Daryl asked.

            Daryl didn’t know much about the people at this school, but he knew about Shane. He’d heard Rick talking about his best friend, Shane Walsh, before. He’d yet to have the opportunity to meet the guy, but Rick had promised to introduce him sometime soon. He knew that the two alphas played on the football team together, grew up three houses down from each other, and were planning on going to college together. But none of that explained why Lori would know about Daryl dating Rick.

            “Yeah, Shane’s my boyfriend,” Lori stated as she turned around to display the number on the back of her varsity jacket—22 in starch-white stitching.

            Daryl side-eyed her, taking in her delicate appearance and wondering how some guy Rick described to be such a brute could possibly score a sweet thing like Lori.

            “We started dating five months ago over summer break. Gave me a promise ring and some cotton candy when he asked,” Lori smiled, obviously recalling a selection of fond memories between the two of them, “But Rick’s been talking to Shane about you quite a bit I’ve been hearin’. Seems like you’re doing him some good.”

            Daryl blushed at the compliment, and his eyes darted back to the field in search of the red number eleven jersey that read ‘Grimes’ on its back. When he found it, he couldn't help but grin as the alpha wearing the jersey sent a nod and a blown kiss his way.

            “He likes you.” Lori giggled after having observed the sweet interaction between the two sophomores.

            “Yeah, well…” Daryl’s shy to admit, but he let his tongue pull forward, “I like ‘im, too.”

            And it’s the damn truth that’s coming from Daryl’s lips. He’d been through plenty of shit through the years, living through Hell and worse. He’d lost his parents to fire and booze, and he’d lost his brother to the system, but when he’d arrived in King County, Georgia, he found that he wasn’t alone anymore. Rick had been there from the start, working to tear down the omega’s walls, and working to right any of the wrongs that Daryl had been met with along the way—always reminding him of just how important he was to Rick. Daryl couldn’t have expected to meet a guy as respectable and caring as his alpha.

            Lori watched him for a bit; watched the way his eyes lingered on Rick as he played ball. And there’s a tender expression that crossed the omega’s face as he watched his boyfriend on the field, and Lori thought that might be what ‘love’ looked like.

            Without warning, Lori took Daryl’s hand in hers and beamed up at him, “You seem like a good person, Daryl Dixon.”

            “Yeah?” Daryl huffed out a quiet laugh. It was the first time a stranger had ever said something like that to him, “You ain’t so bad yerself, Lori.”

            Lori’s smile grew wider, “We should be friends.”

            And Daryl liked the idea of that. He liked the idea of football games and Saturday night sleepovers with friends. He liked the idea of Lori being a new part of his small inner circle; of being able to find trust and support in her.

            “Okay,” Daryl nodded, “Let’s be friends.”


End file.
